Mounting for sliding doors.



P. A. GORDON. MOUNTING FOR SLIDING DOORS.

APPLICATION men APR. 14. I911.

1,274,872. Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

7 a 1 a F @uuemtoi f t P HQORDON PETER A. GORDON, 0F DETROIT,IVJIICI-IIGALT MOUNTING For: SLIDING :ooons.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1918.

Application filed April 14, 1917. Serial No. 162,091.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER A. GORDON, a citizen of the United States,residing at De troit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mountings for SlidingDoors, of which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings. 4

This invention relates to certain improvements in mountings for slidingdoors and has relation more particularly to a device of this generalcharacter especiallydesigned and adapted for use in connection withvehicle bodies; and it is an obj eot of the invention to provide a noveland improved device of this general character which is capable ofsliding movement with a minimum of friction and with noise substantiallyeliminated.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and ar rangement of the several parts of my improvedmounting for a sliding door whereby certain important advantages areattained and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive andotherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, all as will behereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will hereinafter be definitelyclaimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a fragmentary view partly in elevationwith parts broken away illustrating a mounting for a sliding doorconstructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 22'of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 33of Fig. 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, denotes a side wall of avehicle body of the type employed in connectlon with automobiles, andsaid wall VV'is provided with an entrance opening 0, extending to thetop of the wall W. The wall V to one side of the opening 0 is hollow, asindicated at 1, to receive the door D. The door D is mounted for slidingmovement and is adapted to close the entrance open- The lower edge ofthe door D has suitably secured thereto the rail R extendlng the tiallymidway its length the rail R is provided with a series of recesses 2,one-of said recesses beingproducedin the underface of said rail at thetransverse center thereof and the remainder of said recesses being dia;metrically opposed and produced in the side faces of the rail. 7

Mounted within each of the recesses 2 is a wheel 3 having its periphery4: preferably of yieldable material such as rubber. The wheels 3 areadapted to engage within the grooves 5 produced in the guide members 6.The guide members 6 extend within the hollow portion 1 of the wall W andare suitably secured to the bottom and sides thereof. The guide members6 are also continued along the channel 7 produced in the floor F of thebody and eXtending across the opening 0. v

The top of the door D is provided with a rail R having a head 8substantially circular in cross section and which is provided in its topand its side faces with the grooves 9 extending the entire lengththereof. Rotatably supported within the hollow portion 1 of the wall andin longitudinally spaced relation are the Wheels 10 similar to thewheels 3 hereinbefore referred to and which wheels 10 are adapted toengage within the grooves 9 of the upper rail R.

By this arrangement it is thought to be self-evident that the door D maybe readily moved with a minimum of frictional resistanoe and withthepossibility of noise substantially eliminated.

It will also be observed by employing a sliding door in avehicle body,the possibility of injury to pedestrians by an open door is eliminated.It will also be self-evident that with a sliding door the vehicle may bedriven with the door open which is of material advantage in warmWeather. It is to be further noted that by having the peripheries 4 ofthe wheels 3 and 10 yieldable, the door is effectively prevented fromrattling either when open or closed.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that amounting for a sliding door constructed in accordance with my inventionis of an extremely simple andcomparatively inexpensive nature and isparticularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience andfacility with which it may be assembled, and it will also be obviousthat my invention is susceptible of some change and modification withoutma terial departure from the principles and spirit thereof and for thisreason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precisearrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carryingout my invention in practice, except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

In combination with a side wall of an automobile provided with anentrance opening through the top of the wall, the wall at one side ofthe entrance being hollow, a door for said entrance slidable within thehollow portion of the wall, a rail mounted upon the upper edge of thedoor and extending the lemma entire length thereof, said rail beingprovided in its top and side faces with grooves extending the entirelength thereof, and a single series of rollers arranged within the upperportion of the hollow wall and sup ported by the sides and top thereofadjacent the entrance, said rollers being in the same vertical planetransverse of the wall, said rollers contacting with the rail within thegrooves thereof, the peripheral portions of the rollers beingexpansible.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. PETER A. GORDON. Witnesses EDWAR 'J. Jonas, JAMEs A.DANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained. for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of ratents, Washington, D. C.

